Firstly, I just want to acknowledge how cool it would be to have ‘art’ somewhere in my name. Lucky for Stephen, not so lucky for me. Stephen SwARTz is an analogue photographer who studied the craft well before digital was around. His work dates from the late 90s to the present but most of his work carries this 90s energy. I would put this down to the look of the women Stephen uses in his work, although I’m sure the analogue technique plays a part. It is pretty rare these days, with my beloved Ellen Rogers being the main contemporary analogue photographer I am aware of. I have chosen a selection of images from Stephen’s portfolio that appeal to me the most but I would recommend taking a look yourself to fully absorb yourself in his intent. Soft female forms are juxtaposed with geometric architecture to comment on the contrast between organic figures and structured forms and, on a deeper level, intuition and rationale. Stephen uses female figures to express his own feelings as a man, allowing him to explore his own emotional state – something he notes men often try to push down. It is important to respect the skill and patience it takes to work as an analogue photographer, especially in the age where digital technology runs rampant. I’m not one to talk, being a digital artist myself after all. I suppose at the end of the day, the most important thing is to simply acknowledge and respect art, both as the end form, as well as the techniques used to get there. I hope you enjoy these striking photographs. I just adore the first image and find some connections to William Mortensen’s work in a few of the others. Delightful.

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The Visual Female is dedicated to sharing all things visual that relate to women in some shape or form. Regular posts showcase a range of art, photography, fashion and design accompanied with delightful and insightful written commentary.

The Visual Female hopes to keep readers aesthetically stimulated as well as discussing the many ways in which women are visually represented in art and other mediums.

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The woman behind The Visual Female:

Anna McKay lives in Christchurch, New Zealand and is both an artist and art lover. This blog is an outlet to showcase all the amazing visual treats she adores.

Anna holds qualifications in graphic design, cinema studies and mass communication. Her background in mass communication and film triggered an interest in gender representations and, coupled with her enjoyment of painting female subjects, this has led to the exploration of women’s position in art, known now as The Visual Female.